St Oswald’s Church, Heavenfield

Scene of a miraculous military victory, this church is now the starting point of the 97-mile St Oswald’s Way (page 364) pilgrimage route to Lindisfarne

‍Highlights

• Miracle battle site

Victory at Heavenfield in 634 was celebrated as God’s blessing on the Christian people of Northumbria, led into battle by their king St Oswald. A cross was erected on the eve of the battle, and St Oswald received a vision of St Columba promising him victory against his vastly superior opponents.

Afterwards, the cross became the scene of so many miracles that the monks of Hexham built a church to cope with the stream of pilgrims. Splinters of wood from the cross were dropped in water and either drunk or sprinkled to effect miraculous cures, according to the Venerable Bede. The original cross has long since gone, but a replacement was erected in 1928 next to the church’s parking space on the main road, pictured left. What might be the stone base of a later Saxon replacement for the original cross can be seen at the back of the church. The original church was also wooden, built on the spot where St Oswald raised his cross. It was replaced by a medieval church, which in turn was rebuilt in 1817. The church is hidden in a small copse uphill from the road, beside Hadrian’s Wall. A pilgrimage from Hexham to the church takes place on or around St Oswald’s Day, 5 August.

The Venerable Bede regards the battle as restoring the faith to the region (History iii.2), overlooking the fact that St Oswald’s adversary was also a Christian, the Welsh King Cadwallon. In fairness to Bede, Cadwallon was an ally of the pagan King Penda. It may have seemed a confusing alliance, but differences of faith are not the only cause of warfare, in 7th-century England as much as anywhere.

Directions‍

St Oswald’s Church, B6318, near Low Brunton NE46 4EY

www.dalbeattie.com/stoswalds-heavenfield

W3W: pipe.dynasties.blows

GPS: 55.0205N 2.1001W‍

The church is about 4 miles north of Hexham. As you drive past Hexham on the A69 bypass, turn off along the A6079 and head north for 3.2 miles, passing through Wall. At the crossroads in Low Brunton, turn right down the B6318 towards Newcastle. After 1.1 miles, there is a lay-by on the left, where you need to park for the church. The lay-by is unmarked, but there is a stone house and side road on the right immediately before it. From the lay-by, take the footpath 150m uphill towards the trees, in the middle of which is the church.

For the pilgrimage from Heavenfield to Lindisfarne, in addition to the BPT details, there is a dedicated website: www.stoswaldsway.com.